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Minyan
A Minyan (Hebrew מנין literally to count, number; plural minyanim) in Judaism refers to the quorum required for certain religious obligations. The traditional Minyan for most cases consists of ten men, which continues to be the position with Orthodox Judaism. However, Conservative Judaism and Reform Judaism accept women in the Minyan. The most common activity requiring a Minyan is public prayer. Accordingly, the term Minyan in contemporary Judaism has taken on the secondary meaning of referring to a prayer service. The source for the requirement of Minyan is recorded in the Talmud. The word Minyan itself comes from the Hebrew root maneh מנה meaning to count or to number. The word is related to the Aramaic word mene, numbered, appearing in the writing on the wall in Daniel 5:25. The Babylonian Talmud (Megillah 23b) derives the requirement of a Minyan of ten by combining three scriptural verses: The word "midst" in the verse: "And I shall be sanctified in the midst of the children of Israel" (Leviticus 22:32) also appears in the verse: "Separate yourselves from the midst of the congregation" (Numbers 16:21). The term "congregation" is also used in another verse that describes the ten spies who brought back a negative report of the Land of Israel: "How long shall I bear with this evil congregation which murmur against me?" (Numbers 14:27). From this combination, the Talmud concludes that "sanctification" should occur in the "midst" of a "congregation" of ten. The Jerusalem Talmud (Megillah 4:4) offers two sources for the requirement; the word "congregation" in the verse: "Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: You shall be holy" (Leviticus 19:2) is also used in another verse: "How long shall I bear with this evil congregation which murmur against me?" (Numbers 14:27). Since the term "congregation" in the later verse refers to the ten spies, so too in the former verse: "You shall be holy" refers to a "congregation" of ten. The second source is based on the term "children of Israel" which appears in the following two verses: "And I shall be sanctified in the midst of the children of Israel" (Leviticus 22:32) and "And the children of Israel came to buy among those that came" (Genesis 42:5). Just as the "children of Israel" in the later verse refers to the ten sons of Jacob who descended to Egypt to obtain food during the famine, so too the former verse refers to sanctification among the "children of Israel" in the presence of ten. While the required quorum for most activities requiring a quorum is usually ten, it is not always so. For example, the Passover sacrifice or Korban Pesach (from the days of the Temple in Jerusalem) must be offered before a quorum of 30 (It must be performed in front of the assembly of the congregation of Israel. Ten are needed for the assembly, ten for the congregation, and ten for Israel). |